Politics at play in Chan fallout

Simply making it on time to Councilwoman Elisa Chan's news conference this week was a hair-raising experience.

The previous night, her chief of communications, Roger LeGrand, sent a cryptic email to media stating that the “official release of time and venue” would occur just 30 minutes before the conference. That left our ilk restlessly checking inboxes, leaping up at a moment's notice and trying not to break traffic laws in the rush to City Hall.

When I arrived with minutes to spare, the media briefing room was packed with people not in media. For his part, LeGrand acted astonished.

“Howdy, guys,” he said at the microphone. “Thank you all for coming. Considering I told most of you about this within the hour, I'm surprised by the turnout.”

He shouldn't have been surprised: The previous night, while shrouding his email to media in mystery, LeGrand also was alerting a group of supporters to the time and venue of the conference.

Hence, the packed conference and hearty applause that Chan received throughout her speech, which defended her constitutional right to disparage gay people as captured in a secret recording of a May staff meeting. (Her staff was discussing how to oppose a pending update to the city's nondiscrimination ordinance, which would add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.)

I get it: Much of politics is shaping public perception.

It happens, however, that this sort of manipulation is exactly why James Stevens, a former Chan aide, secretly recorded the meeting and released the recording to me last week. On Tuesday, Stevens sent me a written response to Chan's remarks at the news conference, where she accused him of betraying her trust.

The following are excerpts; you can read the former aide's full statement on
ExpressNews.com.

“In her statement, (Chan) said I betrayed her trust,” Stevens wrote. “Well, I agree. She trusted me to be loyal, not to the people of San Antonio, but to her political career. So yes, I did betray Mrs. Chan's trust. I acted upon my civic conscience, a belief that the people of San Antonio have a right to honorable and ethical representation from our elected officials.

“I believe it to be an improper use of city resources and staff, paid for by the tax dollars of hardworking San Antonians, to engage in political activities.

“Is it not 'political activity' to employ the use of city staff in a meeting to discuss ways to position herself for her next political milestone?

“Why didn't Mrs. Chan stop (her then-Chief of Policy) Jeff Bazan when he said, 'To score the most political points you have to ... stand up and be anti-gay'?

“Why didn't Mrs. Chan stop Roger LeGrand when he said, 'If you're in a Republican primary against anyone that you could conceivably be against, they're also going to be opposed to gay marriage?'

“Why did Mrs. Chan suggest that her staff 'throw some questionable confusions?'

“Whether or not she chooses to take the political advice, and fortunately she hasn't, the point is a meeting in her public office at City Hall, with city staff, on city time is not an appropriate forum in which to develop political strategies.”

In any case, Chan's news conference radiated strategy.

When I tried to ask her a question (“Do you have any message for the LGBT constituents in your ...”), Chan cut me off.

“I'm going to be fair to people's questions,” she said, calling on a woman standing in the back.

“People are masterpiece from God,” said the woman, who did not ask a question. “But 'disgusting' translates into abomination. That's His law.... It is disgusting because it translates into abomination. Thank you for saying the truth.”

Later, to more applause, Chan declared, “I respect and support (the LGBT community's) personal freedoms and right to their lifestyle. I will, however, not change my own values or beliefs for political gain or survival.”

Yet the recording reveals exactly the opposite: Chan tried to conceal her values and beliefs for political gain and survival. With the truth out, she could have either apologized or embraced her backwardness.